K&F Aluminium Tripod

K&F sent me their professional 60-inch tripod (TM2515T) to test so here's my opinion about it.

The TM2515T is an affordable professional tripod that offers a lot of features you only get with more expensive tripods while also looking great. It has a maximum height of 66.9" (170cm) while having a load capacity of 22lbs (10kg). The tripod is made out of high-quality magnesium-aluminum alloy. The five-section legs are sturdy and don't wobble when fully extended. To change the angle of the legs, there's an angle adjustment button that needs to be pressed. There are only three different angle levels for the legs but in exchange, you get the safety of not worrying about your tripod collapsing under the weight of the camera.

At the top of the tripod is the K&F-28 ball head which is made out of metal. The camera can be attached to the tripod with the included quick-release plate which locks the camera onto the ball head very securely. The ball head can rotate 360°, has a bubble level and two twist locks to lock the camera into place. One issue I had with my previous ball head was that it wasn't strong enough to hold my camera and a heavy telephoto lens because of the weight. I'm happy to say this ball head is very strong and can hold my Sony A7III with the 70-200 f2.8 without any issues. As a little bonus, the ball head rotates really smoothly which videographers will definitely love!

Because the tripod has a double center column, it can rotate the second (highest) column completely horizontally. Because of this, you can take top-down shots without having the tripods legs in the frame. This is a feature you don't see often on tripods of this price range. When the center column is horizontal, it can rotate 360° and there's a twist knob to lock it into place. Even though the center column is very strong, I wouldn't put too much weight on the ball head when the center column is horizontal because the center column isn't very strong in this position. To counteract this, I never fully extend the center column when it's horizontal which can be seen in the pictures below.

Another cool feature of this tripod is the fact that the center column can be completely removed and be attached from the bottom. This means that the camera can be really low to the ground to take low-angle photos. This comes in handy if you wanna take long exposure photos while having the camera low to the ground.

The last professional feature this tripod has to offer is the ability to convert it into a monopod. One of three legs can be removed. Because the center column is removable, you can twist the center column onto the removed leg so you have a long monopod (up to 69.3" or 173cm). I know most photographers don't use a monopod when they have a tripod available but it's always nice to be able to convert it into a monopod in times you would need one.

I have officially changed my main tripod to the TM2515T instead of my previous Manfrotto tripod and haven't regretted this decision a single time. The TM2515T is an affordable tripod that offers a lot of features you only get with much more expensive tripods, like the removable and transverse center column. The build quality is excellent and the tripod is really stable. The ball head is incredibly strong and can hold a heavy setup which is important for professionals. This tripod is an excellent choice for budget-conscious photographers and videographers.

If you're interested in buying the tripod, you can do so using the following links:

K&F website: https://bit.ly/2RtdBEo (use promo code KF10US for 10% off, valid until December 31, 2021)

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GKNYFSP (use promo code KFCUS007 for 5% off, valid until July 31, 2021)